Health Care?

When most people think of health care reform, they think of medical care that may include cancer care, heart, Alzheimer’s, lupus, and other health care needs. Sick care. There are times we all need this type of care, but with chronic health issues on the rise, more and more we need to take further responsibility for our own care. That’s what I call health care, or preventative care. We hear about it, we talk about it in spurts, we may even know a little about it, but as a society we don’t embrace it.

What I am taking about here is taking care of our mind, emotions, body and spirit, since they are not separate entities, but rather in my experience are always working together to find balance and harmony. I will spend a few sentences discussing each, and then provide a summary.

There has been so much written about nutrition, that there is almost nothing left to be said. Diet this, don’t eat that, juice this. We eat foods that contain chemicals that we never used to consume 100’s of years in the past. These chemicals and others from our water and air are new to our bodies. It makes sense then to eat the cleanest food possible, and to buy a good water filter system for our homes. Finally eating a balanced diet, incorporating seasonal foods, as well as foods grown in your area seems to be the easiest and best alternative to eating right. Forget diet, this is your life, not a semester at school.

Exercise in moderation. Get a fitness trainer if you feel uncomfortable with the gym and equipment, or just don’t know where to start, and work with your body to find its rhythm. Don’t push it. Forget what your gym teacher said. Learn to listen to your body.

Either for maintenance or if you are having health issues find a good support system. I have tried and done it all; acupuncture, massage, cranio-sacral therapy, chiropractic, myofascial therapy, etc. Each has it’s place, and each one will effect your whole being, and your total health. I personally go to a Chiropractor once a month, not because I have back problems, but because it helps everything flow, as well as helping my mind, and emotions.

Learn to take care of yourself. As I went through my counseling program I heard that a lot. “Take care of yourself.” But what does that mean? To me it can mean things like diet, exercise, massage, yoga, but it also means taking time for myself; meditation, prayer, reading a book, a walk in nature, a nice bath, and if you have the facility, sauna. To go along with this I will add counseling and other care techniques, which can include breath, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques, some of which you can do on your own. Our minds are powerful tools, and too often lack the training to help us live happier, healthier lives. Acknowledge your thoughts, and “issues” that come up for you; bless them, and then decide if you want to continue to hold on to them. You have more choice then you may believe.

I’ve Got Bipolar

How many times do I hear that? Daily, weekly, monthly. 

Bipolar has become the new ADHD, and everyone has come down with it. Why the sudden rise in Bipolar? And finally, could this be an epidemic?

First I don’t mean to make light of Bipolar, or any other mental health disorder. My goal in writing this is to take an objective look at Bipolar and provide a better picture of this complicated diagnosis.

In the medical field there is no explanation for the sudden rise of Bipolar. However, some might say that our ability to diagnose the disorder has improved, and therefore also the number of those being diagnosed. For someone in the field of Mental Health, a Counselor like myself, the answer is not as easy.

I have had years in the medical field, more specifically the Integrative Health Field because of my own chronic health problems in the past. During that time I studied many modalities of healing, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Herbology, Massage, CranioSacral Therapy, as well as others. I found that with any illness there are multiple causes. Think of it as a wheel, with each spoke on the wheel relating to a different area or factor. These include genetics, psychological/emotional issues, stress, chemicals in our air/water/foods (silver amalgam fillings, herbicides, pesticides, silicone breast implants, etc.), vitamin/mineral/amino acid deficiencies, viruses/parasites/bacteria, structural problems (spinal misalignment especially after trauma, accidents, etc.), hormonal abnormalities (hypothyroidism, menopause, etc.), and lastly allergies (pollens, foods, etc.).

The problem any time we make a diagnosis is that it’s complicated which becomes part of the problem. Western medicine tends to want to make things simple; often just treating the symptoms. Bodies are broken down to their individual parts and then we forget about the whole. You have one doctor who treats your knee, another who treats your colon, a third your heart, a fourth your brain, etc. We have made incredible advances at treating acute problems using this model; heart transplants, brain tumors, hip replacements, the list goes on. We are not so good at treating chronic problems.

This leads to my final point. In order for a Psychiatrist to give you meds he/she has to give you a diagnosis first. Most people have times they are angry, and moody. If you are someone who has used drugs you would have experienced these and other symptoms; extreme high feelings, anxiety, insomnia, etc. Maybe you’re just overworked, and running on adrenalin all day, you can’t sleep, are irritable, moody, and have times of depression and lack of concentration.

I share these examples because all of these can be Bipolar symptoms when viewed individually, but when taken in context and seen as part of the whole picture they can all be normal reactions to life’s stressors.

What if you were exposed to chemicals at work that caused you extreme anxiety, or if you lived in a building that had a mold problem, or you had hidden food allergies that caused you to become moody. Is that Bipolar? No. What if you had been sexually abused and traumatized as a child, and now had severe mood swings, and depression. Is that Bipolar? No.

Many of these are everyday examples of people that are either diagnosed or treated for Bipolar, when other underlying factors could be the cause for their problems.

If these examples don’t meet the criteria for Bipolar, what or who does? To have a diagnosis of Bipolar, you have had to have at least one Manic Episode which includes, besides anger and mood swings, feelings of grandiosity or an inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, spending sprees, pressured speech, among other symptoms. And before you say, “that’s me”, these symptoms must last at least ONE FULL WEEK. Also being a rapid-cycler does NOT mean you go from being happy to sad a couple times a day. Rather it means you have had episodes of Mania that meet the previous criteria, as well as episodes of Depression that meet the criteria for that diagnosis, and have had 4 or more episodes in a 12 month period.

If you or someone you know meets the criteria for the Bipolar diagnosis, then I would advice treatment. If on the other hand you don’t, you may instead be suffering from Anxiety, Depression, adult ADHD, or some other health problem. Sometimes adults with ADHD look like they are in a Manic Phase, though on further evaluation, you find out they’re always like that. Other people suffer from Anxiety, either through heredity, or any number of other factors. This too may look like Mania at times. It’s important to separate out the symptoms into their individual categories, but then you have to view them within the whole picture. ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression, all can be treated with medications successfully if necessary without resorting to Bipolar medications.

If you are like many of us, either overworked, stressed, possibly harboring unresolved issues from the past, then before resorting to any medications, there are Counselors, Psychologists, Life Coaches, Fitness Trainers, Massage Therapists, Nutritionists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, as well as other professionals who can help you get on the right course by learning to take care of yourself. Prevention is often the best medicine in these cases, but if that’s not possible, don’t wait till it’s too late. Start taking care of yourself today.

There are also many self care techniques, tools, or modalities you can use as well, a hot bath with 2 cups of Epsom salts, a good book, a 20 minute walk, Yoga, Meditation, journaling, art, exercise, gardening. It all works; you just have to learn to take the time for yourself. What’s stopping you? What would others say if you started to take care of yourself? How would you feel if you started to take care of yourself?

If you think you have a medical condition that is contributing to your overall health or mental health problems, I would suggest seeing a doctor, or Nurse Practitioner. I have often found that NP spend more time with you then doctors, and in today’s world that can be a real plus. As I said earlier there can be many issues that cause us to feel unwell. In my time spent at a local Mental Health facility, the most common factors were structural abnormalities, caused by car accidents, and hormonal problems, most commonly hypothyroidism.